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The Human Target #7-12
The Human Target: Volume 2
Christopher Chance has 12 days to solve his own murder! Superstar writer Tom King and acclaimed artist Greg Smallwood continue the noir examination of a classic DC character!
Christopher Chance has made a living out of being a human target—a man hired to disguise himself as his client to invite would-be assassins to attempt his murder. He’s had a remarkable career until his latest case protecting Lex Luthor when things go sideways.
An assassination attempt Chance didn’t see coming leaves him vulnerable and left trying to solve his own murder, as he has 12 days to discover just who poisoned him. After discovering clues, the death of a Green Lantern and a torrid romance with Tora Olafsdottir, a.k.a. Ice, DC’s top bodyguard may meet his match when Beatriz da Costa, otherwise known as Fire, steps into his life. Only time will tell what secrets this flaming femme fatale might hold, and just how badly The Human Target might get burned.
Human Target is a hard-boiled, gritty story in the vein of classic detective noirs, told by bestselling and critically acclaimed creators Tom King and Greg Smallwood!
Christopher Chance has made a living out of being a human target—a man hired to disguise himself as his client to invite would-be assassins to attempt his murder. He’s had a remarkable career until his latest case protecting Lex Luthor when things go sideways.
An assassination attempt Chance didn’t see coming leaves him vulnerable and left trying to solve his own murder, as he has 12 days to discover just who poisoned him. After discovering clues, the death of a Green Lantern and a torrid romance with Tora Olafsdottir, a.k.a. Ice, DC’s top bodyguard may meet his match when Beatriz da Costa, otherwise known as Fire, steps into his life. Only time will tell what secrets this flaming femme fatale might hold, and just how badly The Human Target might get burned.
Human Target is a hard-boiled, gritty story in the vein of classic detective noirs, told by bestselling and critically acclaimed creators Tom King and Greg Smallwood!
232 pages, Hardcover
First published July 18, 2023
54 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
March 17, 2025
This was such a slick comic.
Felt like King was channeling Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett.
The skinny gist is that this is the conclusion of The Human Target's investigation into his own murder. And we all know those are fun stories, right?
After killing a prominent JLI member in self-defense, Chance only has a few days remaining to discover who put that poison in Luthor's coffee. So he goes on the run to avoid the big bad Bat.
Everything else that happens is a spoiler - go read it for yourself.
Tom King's shtick is to take odd or obscure characters that aren't mainstream and then futz around with their stories. Uncover their dirty little secrets. Explore their marital problems. Dig deep into their psyche.
Put a spotlight on these mostly unused characters and show them in a whole new light.
Sometimes it works, and sometimes I feel exhausted by the time I'm done. One of the issues I have is that he tends to take each new character and write them with the extremely flawed man pen. And just knowing what he's up to every time gets old.
The other issue is that he has word diarrhea. If one sentence will do, he'll write a paragraph.
BUT.
Flawed men flourish in the hardboiled detective genre, and he kept the word bubbles to a manageable amount.
I said all of that to say this, if you're on the fence because you have these same problems with King, go ahead and give this one a shot. I make no guarantees, of course. But I'm not a twee fangirl who would recommend everything he writes.
I personally find King an interesting author, even if I don't always like his stories.
Bottom line? I would love to read more about Christopher Chance.
Especially if Smallwood draws it.
Highly Recommended.
Felt like King was channeling Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett.
The skinny gist is that this is the conclusion of The Human Target's investigation into his own murder. And we all know those are fun stories, right?
After killing a prominent JLI member in self-defense, Chance only has a few days remaining to discover who put that poison in Luthor's coffee. So he goes on the run to avoid the big bad Bat.
Everything else that happens is a spoiler - go read it for yourself.
Tom King's shtick is to take odd or obscure characters that aren't mainstream and then futz around with their stories. Uncover their dirty little secrets. Explore their marital problems. Dig deep into their psyche.
Put a spotlight on these mostly unused characters and show them in a whole new light.
Sometimes it works, and sometimes I feel exhausted by the time I'm done. One of the issues I have is that he tends to take each new character and write them with the extremely flawed man pen. And just knowing what he's up to every time gets old.
The other issue is that he has word diarrhea. If one sentence will do, he'll write a paragraph.
BUT.
Flawed men flourish in the hardboiled detective genre, and he kept the word bubbles to a manageable amount.
I said all of that to say this, if you're on the fence because you have these same problems with King, go ahead and give this one a shot. I make no guarantees, of course. But I'm not a twee fangirl who would recommend everything he writes.
I personally find King an interesting author, even if I don't always like his stories.
Bottom line? I would love to read more about Christopher Chance.
Especially if Smallwood draws it.
Highly Recommended.
June 19, 2024
The art and storytelling here are top class. In particular, the art is so stylish with its retro 60s vibe. Also, there are a few twists that take the story in a different direction than I expected at the end of the first volume. It's always nice when a story takes you in unexpected directions.
July 27, 2023
...but in the end, aren't we all just human targets, really? he said, profoundly.
What? You didn't come here to listen to me wax philosophical? FINE.
An excellent conclusion to a highly entertaining story with great art. DC is really killing it with the Black Label books.
What? You didn't come here to listen to me wax philosophical? FINE.
An excellent conclusion to a highly entertaining story with great art. DC is really killing it with the Black Label books.
March 1, 2023
This was an interesting volume tbh as we get to see Chance finally meet Fire and the investigation and the mystery deepens as she throws him off for a loop and then enter: Rocket Red and that issue was so much fun omg and reminded me of an issue that King did with Orion and Mr Miracle but the extremities there were insane.
And the big twist with what happened to Guy and all that was going along aka Ice is the real murderer and you kinda see it coming it you have read a lot of Agatha Christie novels or generally watch Murder mystery movies and finally I love how it isn't just betrayed loved, but rather a psychologically thriller challenging explanation. What happened to ice could she be blamed for doing it and you just see the love that Chance had for her and it's insane the last issue which is explored from her perspective and it was an interesting one tbh.
I assumed the last issue would be the last day but it's interesting seeing how he explores it from her POV and makes the series much more tragic and an exploration of the desire for revenge and it's divisive. Some will like, some will not buy it marks a good end to a somewhat interesting series.
Also is it me or does King not get tired of killing the MCs in these elseworlds book of 12 issues like it's 3/3 so far of what I have read between this and Mr Miracle and Adam strange but oh well it's elseworlds. But same pattern.
This book is for those who like those intriguing mystery novels and for people who like(d) JLI so give it a shot and you might enjoy it!
Also there's a take of the HT one shot and that one was wordy as hell but yeah but it was weird and shows you the JLI encounter with Chance and like a view into his world and job from their perspective, so maybe someone will like it's me personally.. it was kinda meh.
And the big twist with what happened to Guy and all that was going along aka Ice is the real murderer and you kinda see it coming it you have read a lot of Agatha Christie novels or generally watch Murder mystery movies and finally I love how it isn't just betrayed loved, but rather a psychologically thriller challenging explanation. What happened to ice could she be blamed for doing it and you just see the love that Chance had for her and it's insane the last issue which is explored from her perspective and it was an interesting one tbh.
I assumed the last issue would be the last day but it's interesting seeing how he explores it from her POV and makes the series much more tragic and an exploration of the desire for revenge and it's divisive. Some will like, some will not buy it marks a good end to a somewhat interesting series.
Also is it me or does King not get tired of killing the MCs in these elseworlds book of 12 issues like it's 3/3 so far of what I have read between this and Mr Miracle and Adam strange but oh well it's elseworlds. But same pattern.
This book is for those who like those intriguing mystery novels and for people who like(d) JLI so give it a shot and you might enjoy it!
Also there's a take of the HT one shot and that one was wordy as hell but yeah but it was weird and shows you the JLI encounter with Chance and like a view into his world and job from their perspective, so maybe someone will like it's me personally.. it was kinda meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2023
Finished reading issue #12 today, read it a second time to try and let it settle in.
This may not be Tom King or Greg Smallwood best remembered work when all is said and done, we'll see how kind time is to it, but it is easily my favorite from either. I really enjoy both these creators, but the way each elevated the other here can't be understated. What I've enjoyed about DC's Black Label is that creators can take characters out of continuity and tell thoughtful stories that don't have to harken back to the last ___ amount of issues and stick to whatever other authors were plotting. This series is the best argument I've seen yet for having more of these books. I hadn't heard of Christopher Chance before and I had only read some New 52 Justice League International, but I have a new affinity for all these characters after this 12 issue experience.
The humanity given to all the characters here from both the author and the artist made this stand out immediately. That this is only 12 issues is a real testament to their work because I shouldn't be this invested. I will miss this story, I will miss these characters and I will miss this art. I'm so sad this is over because of how quickly it pulled me in. I can't wait to reread this from issue 1-12 without pause. I cannot strongly enough recommend this book.
This may not be Tom King or Greg Smallwood best remembered work when all is said and done, we'll see how kind time is to it, but it is easily my favorite from either. I really enjoy both these creators, but the way each elevated the other here can't be understated. What I've enjoyed about DC's Black Label is that creators can take characters out of continuity and tell thoughtful stories that don't have to harken back to the last ___ amount of issues and stick to whatever other authors were plotting. This series is the best argument I've seen yet for having more of these books. I hadn't heard of Christopher Chance before and I had only read some New 52 Justice League International, but I have a new affinity for all these characters after this 12 issue experience.
The humanity given to all the characters here from both the author and the artist made this stand out immediately. That this is only 12 issues is a real testament to their work because I shouldn't be this invested. I will miss this story, I will miss these characters and I will miss this art. I'm so sad this is over because of how quickly it pulled me in. I can't wait to reread this from issue 1-12 without pause. I cannot strongly enough recommend this book.
September 6, 2023
This homage to D.O.A. wraps up pretty true to its roots, which means it is never going to be the sort of story that I love. It runs out of steam as third-stringers Rocket Red and G'nort become the featured guest stars before a big case of over-narrated mopes sets in.
Well done for what it is.
Well done for what it is.
March 1, 2023
One of the best comics I’ve ever read.
August 16, 2023
If you enjoyed vol. 1 you will definitely dig the conclusion as it is more of the Swinging-Sixties-tinged same, you hep cats.
August 29, 2023
Review goes for both volumes.
Good and cunning story though somewhat predictable if you know Tom King.
The plot is the very type of waterfall well oiled mechanism where everything falls into place how and when it should that King likes so much. And it predictably works perfectly.
Remains the intellectual pleasure of unwrapping one slick story- arguably over-extended for a few issues-, all coated in classical noir though very colourful.
For now there is the matter of the art. Greg Smallwood pages are nothing short of gorgeous. Beautiful. Stunning. Amazing.
I’m wordless.
Good and cunning story though somewhat predictable if you know Tom King.
The plot is the very type of waterfall well oiled mechanism where everything falls into place how and when it should that King likes so much. And it predictably works perfectly.
Remains the intellectual pleasure of unwrapping one slick story- arguably over-extended for a few issues-, all coated in classical noir though very colourful.
For now there is the matter of the art. Greg Smallwood pages are nothing short of gorgeous. Beautiful. Stunning. Amazing.
I’m wordless.
June 15, 2025
The Human Target Vol. 2 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood absolutely floored me. This is noir turned up to eleven—stylish, tragic, and hauntingly intimate all at once. Every page is soaked in tension and lush, almost cinematic beauty; Smallwood’s artwork alone makes the book worth owning.
King’s script is a perfect slow-burn: it tightens the emotional screws issue after issue until the heartbreak feels inevitable—and you still can’t look away. The dialogue crackles, the stakes feel personal, and the whole thing reads like a bittersweet love letter to classic crime stories.
If you’re in the mood for a graphic novel that’s equal parts gorgeous and gut-punching, give this one a shot. Easily a five-star experience for me.
King’s script is a perfect slow-burn: it tightens the emotional screws issue after issue until the heartbreak feels inevitable—and you still can’t look away. The dialogue crackles, the stakes feel personal, and the whole thing reads like a bittersweet love letter to classic crime stories.
If you’re in the mood for a graphic novel that’s equal parts gorgeous and gut-punching, give this one a shot. Easily a five-star experience for me.
March 4, 2024
A maioria dessas minisséries que são grandes e são publicadas em dois volumes, em grande maioria, tem a primeira parte muito boa, mas a segunda não consegue ter o mesmo impacto. Isso é diferente em o Alvo Humano, Volume 2. Ela consegue manter o mesmo ritmo e a mesma qualidade da história mesmo com o leitor já sabendo o que vai acontecer com o protagonista e sabendo quem é o culpado de tudo que desencadeou a trama. Posso dizer com segurança que Alvo Humano é a melhor minissérie do estilo já feita por Tom King. E muito do mérito disso é a parceria com o magnífico artista Greg Smallwood que traz um ar retrô na sua arte que lembra anúncios publicitários dos anos 1950 e 1960. Faz muita diferença um roteiro bem azeitado com personagens interessantes (a Liga da Justiça Cômica) ao lado de uma arte deslumbrante. Gostei muito da exploração que na dupla faz nos personagens da Liga, incluindo o atrapalhado do G'Nort, o Lanterna Verde cachorro gigante. Uma bela homenagem aos anos 1980 com uma cara de muitos muitos anos ainda no passado.
February 23, 2024
The countdown to Christopher Chance’s final day continues as we meet a few more members of the Justice League International. Chance interviews Fire, Ice’s best friend, the slacker Green Lantern G’Nort and Rocket Red. There is a sly chapter about Batman, who never shows up, and that fact leads Chance to make his final deduction as to who the killer is. Exactly who I thought was the killer, indeed was the killer, but Chance was surprisingly sanguine about it. There was no last-minute reprieve for Chance (although I don’t for a minute believe he is dead for good) and the conclusion of the story deals with the killer coming to terms with what they did. The last page shows them fooling Lex Luthor to achieve what they originally had been trying for.
The art was a continued strength for this duology, with a James Bond vibe throughout in both the narrative and the stylish illustrations. As Chance emulated Bond, he was always confident and debonair, but his indifference to the killer’s deception was a bit much. But since noirs are known for their cynicism and fatalism, there was not going to be any moral outrage. But considering the tone of the story and this is a DC Black Label story, I was surprised that all the swearwords were shown as symbols. It was an odd choice, that used sparingly would have been fine, but became glaring as the story progressed.
Tom King is an excellent storyteller and when paired with the amazing artist Greg Smallwood, this graphic novel was cool as ice.
This review (plus V1) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2024/02/2...
The art was a continued strength for this duology, with a James Bond vibe throughout in both the narrative and the stylish illustrations. As Chance emulated Bond, he was always confident and debonair, but his indifference to the killer’s deception was a bit much. But since noirs are known for their cynicism and fatalism, there was not going to be any moral outrage. But considering the tone of the story and this is a DC Black Label story, I was surprised that all the swearwords were shown as symbols. It was an odd choice, that used sparingly would have been fine, but became glaring as the story progressed.
Tom King is an excellent storyteller and when paired with the amazing artist Greg Smallwood, this graphic novel was cool as ice.
This review (plus V1) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2024/02/2...
March 2, 2023
This is one of King’s best and the absolute best showcase of Greg Smallwood’s immense talent.
February 12, 2024
Like all good noir, it manages to get underneath your skin, twist up your guts, and then finished with an ice pick right to the heart. It is the ultimate Characters Get What They Need, Not What They Want genre, I think. At least, when it’s done right, as this does. Note that they don’t get what they necessarily deserve.
Dressing it up in super heroes is still as satisfying as ever too. There’s generally no room for nuanced morality in them, let alone taking it to noir country, where no one is Good at all. Mostly, it’s an exercise in unforeseen consequences and finding a way to live with yourself. Which, you would think super heroes would do a little more often, frankly.
Dressing it up in super heroes is still as satisfying as ever too. There’s generally no room for nuanced morality in them, let alone taking it to noir country, where no one is Good at all. Mostly, it’s an exercise in unforeseen consequences and finding a way to live with yourself. Which, you would think super heroes would do a little more often, frankly.
November 9, 2024
A great ending to a decent whodunnit mystery, each issue was significantly more consistent than the first volume content-wise, though the art remained great throughout both parts. The real standout here aside from the ending was issue 9, which covered Batman stalking the Human Target as shown through the eyes of Christopher himself, which is a perspective I've rarely seen and made for a fun read.
June 1, 2023
GREG SMALLWOOD OMG!!!!
March 21, 2024
Tom King never disappoints.
August 7, 2023
Last December was when I initially read the first volume of Tom King and Greg Smallwood’s The Human Target, so in preparation for the second volume that concludes the hard-boiled detective story of Christopher Chance investigating his own death before his twelve days of remaining life are up, I had to reread the first volume. Considering that Tom King tells twelve-issue narratives that work best when read in one go, it makes you wonder why DC didn't publish the whole series as one trade, instead of two as we got.
Halfway through the story, Chance has already been through a lot, such as his torrid romance with Ice, which led to them murdering the Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. Now with the femme fatale presence of Fire stepping into his life, Chance is getting closer to who really poisoned him before he kicks the bucket.
With ties to Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis’ Justice League International run from the '80s, it is interesting seeing King and Smallwood placing these DC characters, some of which are obscured compared to the likes of Batman, in situations that don’t feel super-heroic. This is obviously not the first time King has approached the DC universe in this way, but what makes The Human Target feels unique is its noir sensibilities and human protagonist that has a flawed perspective on this well-established universe.
Given that it is an ongoing story with Chance’s heavy narration being a major part in the storytelling, each issue functions as its own narrative, which usually places Chance pairing up with a member of the JLI and place them in a setting where there are stakes, or even something as mundane as a walk on the beach. The standout issues would be #8, in which Chance is being physically interrogated by Rocket Red, as well as #10 where Chance teams up the Green Lantern G’Nort to achieve a heist on Oa.
Whereas you would associate the look of noir with harsh shadows, you won’t find them through Greg Smallwood’s vibrant coloured art, which delivers how expressive these characters are, whilst embracing the expanded backgrounds to show how mundane their lives are. Despite settings like Oa, Smallwood, whose aesthetics are like ‘50s American art, is not at all interested in drawing a superhero comic.
As always with King’s comics, the ending will be controversial towards readers, with yet another conclusion that really shows the psychological cracks of these colourful superheroes. This is certainly a better ending than one of King’s previous titles Heroes in Crisis, as The Human Target is a compelling study of a character who has always faced death and realising what he is actually afraid of when he reaches his fate and the impact it will with those he cared about.
Halfway through the story, Chance has already been through a lot, such as his torrid romance with Ice, which led to them murdering the Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. Now with the femme fatale presence of Fire stepping into his life, Chance is getting closer to who really poisoned him before he kicks the bucket.
With ties to Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis’ Justice League International run from the '80s, it is interesting seeing King and Smallwood placing these DC characters, some of which are obscured compared to the likes of Batman, in situations that don’t feel super-heroic. This is obviously not the first time King has approached the DC universe in this way, but what makes The Human Target feels unique is its noir sensibilities and human protagonist that has a flawed perspective on this well-established universe.
Given that it is an ongoing story with Chance’s heavy narration being a major part in the storytelling, each issue functions as its own narrative, which usually places Chance pairing up with a member of the JLI and place them in a setting where there are stakes, or even something as mundane as a walk on the beach. The standout issues would be #8, in which Chance is being physically interrogated by Rocket Red, as well as #10 where Chance teams up the Green Lantern G’Nort to achieve a heist on Oa.
Whereas you would associate the look of noir with harsh shadows, you won’t find them through Greg Smallwood’s vibrant coloured art, which delivers how expressive these characters are, whilst embracing the expanded backgrounds to show how mundane their lives are. Despite settings like Oa, Smallwood, whose aesthetics are like ‘50s American art, is not at all interested in drawing a superhero comic.
As always with King’s comics, the ending will be controversial towards readers, with yet another conclusion that really shows the psychological cracks of these colourful superheroes. This is certainly a better ending than one of King’s previous titles Heroes in Crisis, as The Human Target is a compelling study of a character who has always faced death and realising what he is actually afraid of when he reaches his fate and the impact it will with those he cared about.
January 2, 2026
After being poisoned while posing as Lex Luthor, Christopher Chance found that he had only twelve days left to live. The investigation of his murder led him to the Justice League International and an affair with Ice, filling his last days with love and betrayal. After unraveling the mystery, he spent his final hours on the beach with her, only to have Ice fly into a rage, put his gun in his hand, and place it to her temple.
As the final issue of this 12-issue series opens, Chance is dead, lying on the hotel bed where he spent his last two weeks, while Ice tries to deal with the fallout of her short relationship. Her best friend Fire is amazed that they got away with it, while Guy Gardner just wants to protect "his girl" from any fallout. When The Martian Manhunter tries to start an investigation, Ice does the one thing that nobody ever suspected she was capable of. She stops being nice.
I actually saw the twist at the end coming (spoilers! = Ice using the poison that mistakenly killed Chance to finally kill Lex Luxor, like she always planned.) and yes, it was epic, but I still didn't really care about any of these characters. However, I have to give it to Tom King for sticking to his gun and actually killing Chance off at the end ("I won't miss you. I'll just be gone."). I feared we would get an easy way out which would've just been a cop out but no! Chance is dead. No big final speech, no Dying Moment of Awesome, no last-minute discovery that helps save his life, he's just gone, and he isn't coming back. All that's left is for Ice to pick up the pieces. So, while she still gets her revenge at the end, the ending is bittersweet, as the man she loves (and probably mistakenly poisoned) is forever gone.
There's this one weird Batman issue where his presence just looms large over the story but he never shows up (the characters simply deal with the pressure of his mere idea) and I get what Tom King was trying to do here but I just wanted Brucey-boy to show up for real. Seeing him illustrated in Greg Smallwood's impeccable art style would've been such a treat but alas! a girl can't have everything. Welp.
As the final issue of this 12-issue series opens, Chance is dead, lying on the hotel bed where he spent his last two weeks, while Ice tries to deal with the fallout of her short relationship. Her best friend Fire is amazed that they got away with it, while Guy Gardner just wants to protect "his girl" from any fallout. When The Martian Manhunter tries to start an investigation, Ice does the one thing that nobody ever suspected she was capable of. She stops being nice.
I actually saw the twist at the end coming (spoilers! = Ice using the poison that mistakenly killed Chance to finally kill Lex Luxor, like she always planned.) and yes, it was epic, but I still didn't really care about any of these characters. However, I have to give it to Tom King for sticking to his gun and actually killing Chance off at the end ("I won't miss you. I'll just be gone."). I feared we would get an easy way out which would've just been a cop out but no! Chance is dead. No big final speech, no Dying Moment of Awesome, no last-minute discovery that helps save his life, he's just gone, and he isn't coming back. All that's left is for Ice to pick up the pieces. So, while she still gets her revenge at the end, the ending is bittersweet, as the man she loves (and probably mistakenly poisoned) is forever gone.
There's this one weird Batman issue where his presence just looms large over the story but he never shows up (the characters simply deal with the pressure of his mere idea) and I get what Tom King was trying to do here but I just wanted Brucey-boy to show up for real. Seeing him illustrated in Greg Smallwood's impeccable art style would've been such a treat but alas! a girl can't have everything. Welp.
January 5, 2025
Tom King and Greg Smallwood stick the landing. Some of the best and unique art I have seen in a comic.
July 25, 2025
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
I've been on the wrong end of a couple of absolute stinkers of late. Some books I had higher hopes for, yet sadly fell well short of the mark. Some my expectations were already at rock bottom, and yet said book showed up with a shovel and a shit eating grin. So it comes as a rather big surprise that Mr. character destruction, Tom King himself turns up and turns it all around for me.
The Human Target is good. The Human Target is very good. Yes, as it seems is contractually obligated these days, King has to flip someone or something off on his way out the door, yet the rest of this was just so damn enjoyable, I was able to keep the Kingism's from getting me down. With Greg Smallwood's relatively simple yet excellent art being the perfect accompaniment to a story I cannot wait to have in larger, hardcover format. 4.5/5
Omniben.
I've been on the wrong end of a couple of absolute stinkers of late. Some books I had higher hopes for, yet sadly fell well short of the mark. Some my expectations were already at rock bottom, and yet said book showed up with a shovel and a shit eating grin. So it comes as a rather big surprise that Mr. character destruction, Tom King himself turns up and turns it all around for me.
The Human Target is good. The Human Target is very good. Yes, as it seems is contractually obligated these days, King has to flip someone or something off on his way out the door, yet the rest of this was just so damn enjoyable, I was able to keep the Kingism's from getting me down. With Greg Smallwood's relatively simple yet excellent art being the perfect accompaniment to a story I cannot wait to have in larger, hardcover format. 4.5/5
Omniben.
April 4, 2024
As a huge Tom King fan, one aspect of his writing that I have been semi-critical of is that his endings may not quite fulfill the promise of the earlier issues. I have never been so happy to be wrong. The Human Target Volume 2 absolutely sticks the landing and reiterates my claim that this is best work King has done yet.
February 26, 2025
Sztos.
Polskie wydanie całości - którego nie ma w Goodreads - jest jednotomowe.
Cała historia ma wyśmienity smak neo noir, który w superbohaterskim komiksie pojawia się za rzadko. Albo ja nie potrafię znaleźć więcej takich tytułów. Ale kiedy już znajdę…
Klimat tej opowieści jest znakomity. Mogę śmiało napisać, że kocham każdą wspólną scenę między Christopherem i Ice. Oszczędność słów wzmacnia znaczenie tych wypowiadanych. I tych niewypowiedzianych przede wszystkim. I choć podejrzewałem rozwiązanie zagadki, klasycznego „kto zabił”, to nie miało znaczenia dla oceny. Akurat to było najmniej interesujące, choć mogę się mylić. Bo dla finału miało znaczenie zasadnicze, jeśli chodzi o budowanie napięcia. Nawet łudziłem się, że może wszystko potoczy się inaczej. Ale Tom King jest konsekwentny do samego końca. A kadry narysowane przez Grega Smallwooda - szczególnie te z Christopherem i Ice - chętnie bym sobie wyciął i powiesił oprawione na ścianie.
Polskie wydanie całości - którego nie ma w Goodreads - jest jednotomowe.
Cała historia ma wyśmienity smak neo noir, który w superbohaterskim komiksie pojawia się za rzadko. Albo ja nie potrafię znaleźć więcej takich tytułów. Ale kiedy już znajdę…
Klimat tej opowieści jest znakomity. Mogę śmiało napisać, że kocham każdą wspólną scenę między Christopherem i Ice. Oszczędność słów wzmacnia znaczenie tych wypowiadanych. I tych niewypowiedzianych przede wszystkim. I choć podejrzewałem rozwiązanie zagadki, klasycznego „kto zabił”, to nie miało znaczenia dla oceny. Akurat to było najmniej interesujące, choć mogę się mylić. Bo dla finału miało znaczenie zasadnicze, jeśli chodzi o budowanie napięcia. Nawet łudziłem się, że może wszystko potoczy się inaczej. Ale Tom King jest konsekwentny do samego końca. A kadry narysowane przez Grega Smallwooda - szczególnie te z Christopherem i Ice - chętnie bym sobie wyciął i powiesił oprawione na ścianie.
March 30, 2025
The art in this is so next level good lord Greg! I actually met Greg back in 2016 at Krypton Comic while he was promoting his Moon Knight book (excellent run btw). He was so nice 😭
August 11, 2025
4.5/5.
Besides Tom King occasionally yapping a little bit, this is a great read. Wonderful 60’s inspired art, an engaging story, and interesting characters… what more can you want, really?
Loved Christopher Chance as a main character. A prequel series with him or a sequel series somehow would be great. And I loved G’Nort too (I had never heard of him but bro is chill asf). Gotta read Mister Miracle now cuz I heard that’s another one of Tom King’s great works😤
Besides Tom King occasionally yapping a little bit, this is a great read. Wonderful 60’s inspired art, an engaging story, and interesting characters… what more can you want, really?
Loved Christopher Chance as a main character. A prequel series with him or a sequel series somehow would be great. And I loved G’Nort too (I had never heard of him but bro is chill asf). Gotta read Mister Miracle now cuz I heard that’s another one of Tom King’s great works😤
July 12, 2025
The perfect ending. Such a good mystery, and the ending honestly hit me harder than I thought it would. This was a really solid series. This man would truly do anything else than go to therapy. So real.
March 26, 2024
Tom King closes out The Human Target at the same high level as the first volume. Rest assured, the mystery of who killed Christopher Chance is resolved, but it's the journey that takes us there that is far more satisfying.
Just as with the first volume, we meet an array of DC D-listers who, in Tom King's steady hands, rise above their obsolete status in the mythos. (Just try to not fall in love with G'nort!) The patient plotting gives Chance and Ice plenty of room to swirl around each other in a beautiful, tragic romance ().
The Human Target is, in my opinion, the best thing Tom King has written. If you've been looking for a hard-boiled detective story, regardless of whether you care about any of these characters, give The Human Target a read.
Just as with the first volume, we meet an array of DC D-listers who, in Tom King's steady hands, rise above their obsolete status in the mythos. (Just try to not fall in love with G'nort!) The patient plotting gives Chance and Ice plenty of room to swirl around each other in a beautiful, tragic romance ().
The Human Target is, in my opinion, the best thing Tom King has written. If you've been looking for a hard-boiled detective story, regardless of whether you care about any of these characters, give The Human Target a read.
August 16, 2023
An ending I did not see coming. This was as noir as it gets. I can see why this series is an award winner.
July 6, 2023
Every bit as good as volume 1 this tale of Christopher Chance and who killed him is an excellent read. King continues to pluck characters from the past and pop them in to different genres and it just works. The conclusion is satisfying and well worth the time to read.
December 14, 2023
The fist book spun a mystery for us. It gave us answers and gave us more problems. This book starts by solving the mystery. After that it turns everything on its head. The Human Target becomes increasingly paranoid, in and issue dedicated to paranoia King uses Batman in a very unique way that we don’t get enough of. That paranoia leads to more mysteries and more answers. Everything we learned in the first book is unraveled and broken down. Each issue introduces a new twist and turns that kept me on my toes right up until the very end. When it ends exactly like it said it would. But that’s not disappointing, it’s incredibly satisfying. Tom King is able to spin such and interesting thread that even when he starts his stories at the end and then gives away huge beats there’s still so much to unpack and get from the middle part. Ice is given so much depth here that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to look at her character the same again. Greg Smallwood counties to be a superstar artist. His simplistic layouts and backgrounds help to highlight the characters or items at the forefront of any scenes. His color work is nearly unmatched, every color pops and tells the story in interesting ways. The color of course still helps with that noir detective feel and I love it. This book is a masterpiece in both writing and art.
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